It certainly wasn’t the perfect start in life when the little boy born in a racing stables proved allergic to horses.

As a toddler Sean Bowen had an acute dislike for his parents’ string of 50 thoroughbreds as he suffered so badly from eczema every time he got near horse hair.

But now, at the age of 17, it’s a different story. This weekend Sean will bid to become the second youngest jockey ever to win the Grand National.

It’s a chance he’s been dreaming of for years. It’s in his blood – so much so that Sean went to his first race meet when he was just 10 days old.

But his allergy to horses won’t be the only hurdle he’s overcome if he rides to victory this weekend.

One of his 39 rivals will include a horse called Al Co – the pride of trainer dad Peter’s stables where rising star Sean grew up in Little Newcastle, near Haverfordwest in Pembrokeshire.

“That’s all dad ever says to me – his dream is to train the Grand National winner,” said Sean. “But words couldn’t describe what it would be like for me to win.”

Racing aged 10 days

For parents and son to be going head to head is certainly going to be emotional.

But for Sean’s mum it seems like no time since she first took Sean to the races – a nightmare 310-mile journey to Market Rasen when he was just 10 days old.

“I drove the horse box and Sean was beside me in his baby seat,” said mum-of-three Karen.

“His older brother Micky used to fall asleep the moment we left the yard and he wouldn’t wake up until we arrived at the races. So I foolishly thought all babies were like that but Sean soon proved to be very different.

“He was continually hungry and made his feelings known so I had to keep stopping at the roadside to breastfeed him. What was normally a seven-hour drive to Market Rasen ended up taking 10 hours.”

Eczema problem

The real false start to his horse racing career came a few years later – when he suffered an horrendous eczema flare up every time he went near the stables.

“Sean started riding horses before he could walk but he had really bad eczema when he was little,” said Karen.

“He used to itch and was covered from head to toe in a rash every time he went near a horse.

“It started off when he was three months old and got gradually worse, especially around clipping time when Peter and I would have horse hair all over us.

“I remember asking a specialist if he would grow out of it and he said: ‘No chance’.”

The memory of it still makes Sean squirm. He said: “When I was about five I absolutely hated the horses. I used to come out in a rash and my eyes would water every time I went near them.”

Condition vanished

But when he turned seven the eczema suddenly vanished – with doctors only able to explain that he’d simply grown out of it.

It was then Sean forgot his early love of football and fell in love with horse racing – even practising his winning pose sat astride the arm of the sofa.

Karen said: “He used to sit on the arm of our settee with a whip in his hand riding out an imaginary finish as a jockey by hitting the sofa.

“It used to land Sean in trouble because his dad was always saying: ‘Why are you letting him batter that sofa to bits!’.

“Sean and his younger brother James had an old pony called Striker and they used to ride him up and down the gallops for hours.

“They used to time each other to see who was quickest – Striker was very slow and kept plodding on.

“Then we put a mechanical horse in the house and Sean spent hours and hours riding a finish on that.

“He had absolutely no interest in school at all – from the age of nine all he wanted to do was become a jockey.”

Left school to pursue his dream

When Sean turned 14 Karen and Peter decided to take him out of school and teach him at home so he could train on the horses in between lessons. It was all he ever wanted to do.

“Sean used to ride out 10 horses on the gallops every day between lessons – and the more horses he rode the happier he became. He fell off loads of times but nothing put him off.

“Sean used to have a game on his PlayStation called G1 Champion Jockey which told you the tactics each horse needed to perform best.

“When Sean was not racing or riding at home he played that game endlessly and he became very good at reading a race – it definitely helped him.”

Dozens of wins

Sean finally got his dream of becoming a professional jockey last year and he has already ridden 40 winners in a stellar first season for eight times legendary champion trainer Paul Nicholls.

Paul, whose stables are in Dicheat, Somerset, had first talent-spotted the teenager when he was riding in amateur point-to-point races for his dad and snapped him up to join his top team.

Sean is now hot favourite to be this season’s top conditional jockey and is three ahead of his nearest rival after romping home on six winners over Easter.

Aiming to be youngest winner in decades

The enormity of this Saturday, which will be watched by 600m people worldwide, is still sinking in.

Sean, who turns 18 in September, is seeking to become the youngest jockey to triumph since Bruce Hobbs won on Battleship in 1938 when he was aged 17 years and three months.

Sean said: “I’ve watched the Grand National since I was a baby and it will be amazing to be part of it. A year ago I would never have expected to be riding in the race – it’s all happened so fast.

“My favourite Grand National was watching dad’s horse McKelvey finish second to Silver Birch in 2007.

“Mon Parrain has jumped round these fences before and he is better than ever this year so he should go well.

“I love riding winners because it’s such a massive buzz.”

Divided loyalties

Sean, of course, is aware that his parents also have a lot riding on the race and he insisted he would be happy if either of them won the £1m prize.

“It would be different class for me or my parents to have the winner,” he said. “If either horse won it would be absolutely fantastic.”

Karen and Peter also have divided loyalties. Their 10-year-old horse Al Co – to be ridden by Denis O’Regan – is 25-1 to win after being a shock 40-1 winner of last year’s Scottish Grand National at Ayr.

Joining mum and dad at Aintree will be Sean’s elder brother Micky, 19, who works as assistant trainer in the family’s training operation, and younger brother James, 14, who has already notched up 60 wins in pony races.

Karen said: “I’m not sure I will be able to watch – I may have to wait and see a replay later.

“I will be very torn.

“The best result would be a dead heat and I will be shouting for both horses.

Dedicated

“Winning the Grand National would be amazing – it’s the ultimate, the race we’ve always wanted to win.

“Al Co is such a gentle horse – we all love him to bits.

“But the way Sean’s career has taken off is already beyond our wildest dreams – it’s just totally incredible.

“I used to ask Sean if being a jockey was what he really wanted to do but he got cross with me for asking. The sacrifices don’t worry him – he is totally dedicated to the aim of being a top jockey.”

She added: “The whole family gets excited about this one race. We always go up to Aintree for the three days and we’ve had some great times and share some very fond memories.”